2019-2020 WSU General Scholarship Application

Personal Statement

Leadership/group contributions

 In high school, I was a member of the Associated Student Body (ASB) and my role was to provide engaging activities to the students, planning and participating in the activities.  In my leadership position, I organized events such as Spirit Week, community projects, cultural events, Homecoming and more. As a leader, I was interested in bringing students together to share ideas and concerns and more importantly I focused on creating a positive atmosphere to allow students feel connected through the organized activities. As a students' representative, my role had a positive influence on students in that by joining the extracurricular activities, they gained self-esteem, developed positive attitudes and learned more on critical issues such as drug abuse and hate.  My leadership role helped resolve disputes by encouraging students to accept diversity and recognize the individual differences.

 Knowledge in a field

 My special interest since childhood is studying anatomy. I have been showing a special interest in this field not only by being attentive in class when a teacher could introduce the topic but also by doing further investigation on the topic. I have a passion for anatomy and my interest has been in understanding the structure of the human body, health, and medicine.  I learned more during dissection of animals and after the practical session, I was interested in developing this knowledge by trying new things such as studying the structure of the body under the microscope. In this anatomy department, I have the willingness to try new things through research work, diagnostic and more.  I have experienced the joy of studying anatomy and becoming a surgeon. 

Dealing with adversity

 In high school, I once encountered an unpleasant situation after learning that my best friend has suicidal thoughts. I was lucky I had this confidant friend whom we could spend time and interact. However, when my friend disclosed to me that she wanted to commit suicide, it was the worst painful experience since I could not imagine losing such a friend. To solve this traumatizing experience, I approached my parents and informed them about my friend's crisis. They were so concerned and being close friends to my friend's parents, they disclosed the matter and there was a positive effect on the final outcome.  The unpleasant situation helped me learn that I am a caring person since I could stay close to my friend during the time of troubles, I could always communicate to her, encouraged her, understood her situation, showed love and more importantly approached people who handled her situation.

Community services

 Since I was young, I have been yearning to make my community a better place by volunteering in activities that can bring positive impacts on other's lives. I volunteered to work at a Legacy Hospital for two years as a gift shop clerk and front desk volunteer. In these two positions, I offered quality customer services such as stocking merchandise, cleaning the work area, answering questions to patients, discharging patients and more. Being a volunteer in helping the patients and improving the community improved by mental and physical health, self-confidence, I developed a sense of pride, increased socializing and improved the well-being of the patients.

 

Handling systematic challenges

 I personally have never experienced racism or discrimination but through the systematic challenges that my mother experienced, I have learned something about racism and the lesson has impacted my life in a positive way. When my mother was 13, she relocated to Vietnam where she could not speak English.  Due to the language difference, race, religion and another social status, she faced all kind of discrimination and racism.  My parent's experiences have taught me that it is important to accept and respect the diverse cultures especially in educational institutions where students are from different backgrounds. Having understood the effects of racism, I will be dedicated to supporting cultural diversity amongst students for them to increase creativity and improve performance.

Goals commitment

 Following my special interest in studying human anatomy, my goal is to become a cardiothoracic surgeon. I understand that to achieve this goal, I must possess the necessary attributes and collective responsibilities.  After setting this academic goal, I have established accomplishment goals that will assist in becoming a cardiothoracic surgeon. In other words, I have established efforts to achieve my goals such as finding a mentorship, skills acquisition like attending group dynamics, I am also involved in national organizations for social networking.  One thing that is showing my effort in achieving the goal is finding a mentor. I have created a soil network with a senior surgeon who will provide me with advice and assistance needed in achieving my academic goals as well as becoming successful in the clinical practice.

Career interests and aspirations

 Though many students have a variety of career ideas, I personally have a clear idea of the path I want to take. My career interest is becoming a cardiothoracic surgeon not to gain a ‘prestigious' reputation but to change people's lives and improve their wellbeing.  Since childhood, I have been interested in working in the medical field and I look forward to achieving my goals and make my dream come true as I join the WSU. I am aiming high and with resources and opportunities, I will become a surgeon. Medicine is my career choice and I would like to gain the required professional skills and knowledge in medicine at WSU.

 

 Activities

 I have been involved in various activities such as co-curricular activities, leadership and community involvement.  My last four experiences over the last three years include;

Activities	Job tittle	Primary role	Date of service	How often	Name of the company	Type	contribution
Activity 1	Club coordinator	Organizer	2017 September to 2018 July	Daily	Clark College Student life	School	I have established quarterly involvement  fair
Activity 2	Legacy Hospital Volunteer	Organizer	September 2016 to  June 2018	Monthly	National Honor Society	Club
Activity 3	ASB sophomore	Participant	September 2015 to June 2017	Daily		Club	Planned events at my highs school
Activity 4	NHS member	Participant	November 2015	Weekly	Legacy Hospital	Organization	Helped customers purchase items, run end of da reports, offered quality customer services.